Country Meadows Principal's Message - April 5th

Country Meadows Principal's Message - April 5th

Country Meadows families,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable spring break!  Although I loved the relaxation and nursery progress we made at home, I was excited to see all of our students on Wednesday morning!  We had a fun but short week, and we were able to end our week with a fun school assembly!


NEW *An Evening of Math Fun* 

(Grades 3–5 students/teachers/families)

The Stevenson High School Math Department and Math Team invite all students in grades 3, 4, and 5 and their families and teachers to the Stevenson Math Carnival on Thurs., May 9, 6–8 PM.

At the Math Carnival, students play fun math games and win prizes.

Stevenson High School, 1 Stevenson Dr., Lincolnshire, IL  
Park in the "B" Lot and enter through the "Point Entrance"
SEE FLYER


NEW *PRO Assembly* 

Today we came together at the end of the day to review the progress we made with our Kindness Challenges.  The students collectively earned over 1,000 PAWS before spring break for being responsible, respectful, and peaceful so they won a spirit week next week (see below) and collected LOTS of pop tabs!  We also had a fun "game show" where student contestants were able to work with their teacher to answer questions related to kindness, our school song, our school mascot, and our community! Next week's Spirit Week will be a fun one! 

Monday, April 8th: Stop, Drop, & Read Day - Students are encouraged to bring their favorite book to school and wear comfortable clothes (pajamas, workout clothes, etc.)!  They will be provided with opportunities to stop and read their favorite book throughout the day! 

Tuesday, April 9th: National Name Day - April 9th is National Name Day, and students will have an opportunity to take on the name of their favorite superhero, cartoon character, or represent their own name if it's something they are super proud of! 

Wednesday, April 10th: Dance Day - We will be playing LOTS of music for students to dance to throughout the day!  Get ready to bust a move!

Thursday, April 11th: Doodle Day - Students will have a chance to draw and doodle during activities/times planned by classroom teachers! 

Friday, April 12th: I Love Country Meadows Day - Wear your CM spirit wear OR the color blue to show your school spirit!


NEW *Celebrate Learning - Specials Show Down!* 

Save the date!  Monday, May 13th from 5:00-7:00 Country Meadows will be hosting our Celebrate Learning - Specials Show Down Night for families! 

Students will have the opportunity to participate in their grade level concert and showcase the amazing things they do during Learning Center, Exploration Lab, PE, and Music!  Please keep a look out for specific details/schedule in upcoming Principal Messages! 


NEW *PTO Update* 

Find more information in the COUNTRY MEADOWS PTO BLOG!


NEW *Parent Input for Class Placement* 

Creating balanced class lists that meet the needs of all students is a tremendously difficult job that takes many hours of thoughtful dialogue between classroom teachers, administrators, and specialists. At Country Meadows, we take this process very seriously. The process for class list creation is as follows:

  1. Teachers think about the social and academic needs of each of their current students while recording pertinent information to assist in the decision making process.

  2. Grade level teachers, the principal, specials area teachers, and specialists meet together to form class lists that are balanced in terms of academic, social, and emotional needs as well as considering friendships. This is no easy task and often takes several meetings. This team of educators considers each child’s personality, academic needs, friendship patterns, etc. as they make a match for each individual child.

  3. This team of educators creates a draft set of class lists taking into consideration parent input.  

  4. Class lists are then revised in August with summer changes for students who move in or out of the district.

  5. Class rosters are never final until they are released to families in August.

This process happens at grades 2-5. Willow Grove creates the class lists for our incoming 1st graders.  Our 5th-grade team actively works with Woodlawn to provide data and input related to placement decisions at the middle school level.

We strongly believe that this detailed and collaborative process creates learning environments that benefit all students. It is a delicate balancing act which takes much consideration and thought by professionals who know and care about your children. Our goal is to create balanced class lists that promote the success of each child. Please know that your child is placed in a classroom for very specific reasons. The process benefits all students.  Because of the input and thought given by teachers, specialists, parents, and the principal, we are very reluctant to make changes once this process occurs, as removing or moving one child can disrupt the balance of an entire class, impacting all students.

I welcome any insight you wish to share about your child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. I will take into consideration pertinent information received on or before FRIDAY, APRIL 26th. Please remember, while we welcome your input, specific teacher requests will not be honored.

I cannot express enough how important it is that your thoughts are provided through the Country Meadows Class Placement Input 2019-2020 Survey.  As you can imagine, we receive a lot of parent input, and verbal information is impossible to track.  The information you provide in the survey will remain confidential between you and me.


REPEATING *Coming in April: IAR Assessment for Grades 3-8* 

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the new English/language arts and math state assessment for Grades 3–8 students in Illinois public schools. 

The IAR replaces the PARCC assessment given the previous few years and is, in fact, very similar.

The testing window is designated as Apr. 8–26, but our students do not test every day during that period. 

Read more info about the IAR, including our Testing Schedule, the impact of participation, and more.

As your building principal, I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the IAR assessment. Please call our school office or send me an email. 


Have a wonderful weekend, and we will see students back at school on Monday for a full week of learning! 

Warmly,

Meghan Bird - Principal